Patent GB-298476-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1928-10-06
Abstract: 298,476. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Tabulating Machine Co.). Oct., 8, 1927, [Convention date]. Statistical machines; total-taking. -A record-card-controlled statistical machine in which subtraction is performed by adding the complement is provided with improved means for recording a balance, whether positive or negative, as a true amount and not as a complement. The invention is applied to the machine described in Specification 297,800, in which for credit and debit working each debit card is perforated in a certain column outside the amount field, but the credit cards are not so perforated. A credit amount is added as a true number into - credit counter and a debit amount is added as a complement into the same counter. This counter will, therefore, show a true balance if the credit items exceed the debit items, and will show a complementary balance if the debits predominate. With the debit counter this arrangement is reversed, the debits being entered in their true values. According to the present invention, if a credit card is passing through the machine the balance is normally recorded from the credit counter, but if a debit card passes, the debit counter is provisionally selected by the special card hole; if, however, a tens transfer occurs, owing to the fact that the debit item is not large enough to cancel the previous credit total, the transfer action on the wheel of the highest denomination is used to re-select the credit counter. The transfer mechanism is of the electric type described in Specification. 235,911. The Hollerith cards pass upper and lower card-reading brushes UB and LB one. card cycle apart, the automatic control &c. of the machine for total-taking and resetting being as in Specification 247,200. As a card passes the upper brushes its reading is coded by the reading-in commutators 10 to effect energization of certain of the magnets 11 which control the movable brushes of the reading-out commutators 12 which emit the complement of the amount on the card during the next cycle, while the lower brushes are reading the same card and transmitting the actual amount to the debit balance counter A or to the credit balance counter B. The selection of the appropriate counters for the various items is made by contacts 13 which are all raised to close their upper contacts when a relay 14' is energized. Fig. 1 shows these contacts in their normal credit-operative positions in which the lower brushes LB are connected directly to the magnets 14 of the credit counter B and the devices 12 transmitting the complements are connected to the magnets 15 of the debit counter A. For debit working, the debit hole in a debit card causes energization of the magnet 14<1> and the upper contacts 13 are closed during the following machine cycle so that the lower brushes LB are connected direct to debit counter A and devices 12 to counter B. Printing magnets 22 and 23 for the counters B and A coact with total-taking contacts 24 and 25 and also print items as in Specification 247,200. Contacts 26 are closed by the card brushes when the latter read a debit perforation and contacts 27 are closed when a tens-transfer occurs on the balance counter. The electric transfer contacts 29, 30, 31 for each counter magnet 14 are in series with cam contacts 28 and are connected as shown to the counters 14, to the contacts 13, and to a relay 32 adapted to close the contacts 27. Thus for a credit card the machine runs unchanged, printing from the credit counter. For a debit card the contacts 26 close and provisionally select the debit counter for balance printing, but if the debit item is insufficient to make the true balance a debit one, the resulting closure of contacts 27 reselects the credit counter. Contacts 26 and 27 are used for selectively energizing two opposed magnets 44, 45 controlling contacts 38, 40, 42, 43 to give the appropriate printing circuits. Fig. 3 shows mechanical means for selecting the debitbalance type sector 81 on the credit-balance sector 80. These sectors are held alternately by pawls 82, 83 joined by wires to levers 101, 102 which are rocked alternately by a plate 96 having three projections 97 and moved one sixth of a revolution when a debit card is sensed or a transfer occurs. This step by step rotation is given to the plate 96 by gearing 94 and a six-toothed ratchet 93 actuated by a pawl 92 connected to a rod 91 and a plate 86. This plate is pulled to the left so that the pawl takes over another tooth (1) by a Bowden wire 84 when a debit card is sensed or (2) by a Bowden wire 85 when tenstransfer occurs on the credit balance counter. In the drawing the credit type sector 80 is shown normally released for printing credit balances as long as credit cards are passing the reading brushes. When a debit card' is sensed, the wire 84 and pawl 92 move the member 96 one sixth of a rotation so that the plate 96 releases the lever 101, whereupon the pawl 82 locks the credit sector 80, and the plate 96 also rocks the lever 102 to release the debit sector 81. If, however, transfer occurs the wire 85 actuates pawl 91 and plate 96 another step so that the sector 81 is locked again and the credit sector 80 is re-selected for printing. If the debit sector 81 is selected, when printing occurs this sector moves a wire 104 to the right so that bell-crank 103 and wires 105 move plate 86 to the left and actuate the plate 96 so that the parts are reinstated in their normal credit-balance printing positions ready for the next card. To permit the sectors 80, 81 to be used for itemprinting an arm 207 is rocked clockwise just before each item-entering cycle of the machine so that a lever 203 pivoted on the same axis as the plate 96 rocks counterclockwise and pins 204, 205 thereon move levers 101, 102 to release the pawls 82, 83. At the same time a bellcrank 212 breaks the connection 208, 209, 210 in the wires 105, so that the pawl 92 is not operated. 200 and 201 are the counter wheels coacting with the type sectors 80 and 81.